


Gradual

by The_Wandering_Swordsman



Category: One Piece
Genre: Bottom Roronoa Zoro, M/M, Uke Roronoa Zoro, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-21 02:39:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6034840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Wandering_Swordsman/pseuds/The_Wandering_Swordsman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sanji never realized how much Zoro loves jewelry. SanjixZoro. yaoi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gradual

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Sanji was kneeling down in front of the jewelry store window. He stared at the necklaces, brooches, pendants, earrings, and rings that were scattered all over the dark red satin tablecloth. He picked one, visualized it carefully, and he closed his eyes. He imagined the jewelry on the person and pondered if it matched. If he didn’t like it, he moved to another one.

For days, the cook visited this store to examine the pieces of accessories. He saved money to purchase a gift for his lover, but he couldn’t exactly pick the right gift. He didn’t know why he ended up in the jewelry store, but it seemed like there was no other choice. Clothes were too difficult and made him look like a pervert, flowers didn’t last long, and chocolates-well, he could make them and probably tasted better.

If his lover wore earrings, then _he_ probably loved jewelry.

Yes, Sanji’s lover was Roronoa Zoro. It sounded unbelievable since they fought constantly. However, they soon found out that when they weren’t yelling and drawing swords they were good friends. They liked the same things; the only thing difference was their romantic interests. Sanji preferred gentle, loving, kind, and beautiful people who would always be there for him. He loved the curves, the hips, the plump lips, and the long hair. He wanted the ones who cuddled with him after making love and whisper in his ear that he was loved. Zoro preferred silent, calm types who rarely say a word, but would be there when he needed help. He didn’t want the extra hugs or kisses. All he wanted was a smile and a hand he could hold.

When they were alone, Zoro showed the gentle, loving, kind, and beautiful side that only Sanji knew. He had the curves and hips, his lips were a little thin but they were kissable. His hair was short, but who cares. Since Zoro opened himself to him, Sanji revealed his side too. He didn’t turn obnoxiously annoying when he flirted with Zoro. He was quiet about it, and always brought a bottle of sake to brighten the mood. He silently held Zoro’s hand and kissed it, and peered up to see a happy blush across the swordsman’s cheeks.

He didn’t know how his heart could have fallen this deeply in love with the swordsman. But it did, so there was no turning back. They’ve hugged in a romantic way and they held hands in public (under the table while everyone was eating however). They also kissed and touched each other’s bodies, but they haven’t gone any farther than that. This relationship lasted for six months, so Sanji wanted to celebrate.

Sanji gazed at the rows of rings. He liked the silver ones with the fancy engravings on it. He closed his eyes and saw Zoro with the ring on his hand. Which hand and on which finger? The left hand maybe since he was left-handed, or would he put it on the right because it wasn’t in the way?

Huh. Zoro looked great with a ring.

Sanji got up and rubbed his sore knees. He checked the ring again. It was a large, silver ring with one-and-a-half centimeter thickness. It had three line engravings the ring, Zoro’s favorite number. Sanji smiled, visualizing the happy swordsman while walking into the store.

-.-.-

Night fell and everyone was back at the ship and eating Sanji’s dinner. It seemed that wherever they landed, everyone would always return to the ship to eat. Usopp explained to Sanji that they tried the food here, but it wasn’t that great; he liked Sanji’s food better. The boosted Sanji’s spirits and he gave Usopp an extra slice.

It looked like everyone was finished, so Sanji walked up to Zoro and whispered in his ear.

“Can you stay for a while to help me wash dishes?”

Zoro turned slightly to catch a glimpse of the cook. He gave a short shake of a nod and turned back, so no one would notice. Sanji walked past to collect an empty plate that sat between Zoro and Luffy and headed to the sink. He didn’t expect Chopper to be there in human form and holding a stack of plates.

“Today’s my shift right?” Chopper asked while setting the plates on the counter.

“Uh, yeah. But, you don’t need to do it today.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Sanji turned to give a snarky glare at Zoro, “He didn’t do it the last time.”

“What?” Zoro stood up and glared, “You said I can take a break!”

“But it was _your_ fault that you cut your finger while cleaning your swords, clumsy.”

“Who are you calling me clumsy?”

“Can you please shut up?” Nami butted in between, “I want to drink my tea in peace.”

“Yes, Nami-san!”

“Keh!”

“And, Zoro, since you always had to ruin the peace, you’re going to help wash dishes.”

“What?”

“Debt Zoro.”

The swordsman let out an aggravated sigh but said no more. Good thing too because although the man was great with swords, he was terrible at acting. If he kept this going, someone was going to see through his poor disguise. Sanji was especially worried about the women. They had the keenest scenes, so they would catch the slightest awkwardness, which Zoro happened to show. Thank goodness Zoro learned to lower his head or else the women would’ve seen his smile.

Still, Chopper offered to-at least-help collect all of the plates. Sanji let him, and Chopper ran off gathering all of the plates on the table. Once he had finished-and felt accomplished that he did something-he left with the rest of the crew. The swordsman and the cook were the only ones in the room, so the room felt wide and empty. Zoro spun around in his seat and stared up at the cook.

“So, why the sudden task?”

“I want to talk-er...Actually, I want to give you something.”

Zoro went out of focus for a second, as if he didn’t expect Sanji to say that.

“What is it?”

“I’ll give it to you after the dishes.”

Zoro stood up, “Alright.”

Zoro tried to look patient. There was a subtle hastiness in the swordsman’s hands. The handed dishes were swiped roughly with a wet towel, and then dunked it into the dish rack. The plates were glossy because water still clung onto the surface. It made a huge clatter, and Sanji flinched at the sound.

“Hey, be gentle.”

“Sorry.”

His pace slowed down a tad bit, but he was faster than Sanji. Maybe it was a bad idea to tell him about the surprise, but he didn’t expect Zoro to anticipate it this much. It was cute though.

The dirty dishes were washed, somewhat dried, and were put away in the shelves. Sanji’s hands were still wet, but Zoro leaned in.

“So, what is it?”

“Wait, I need to dry my hands-”

“Here.” Zoro handed Sanji the soggy towel. The cook frowned, narrowing his eyes at the towel and back at the swordsman. He rolled his eyes and pulled a small, folded handkerchief out of his pocket. Hands now perfectly clean and dry, he folded the fabric and tucked it back in his pants. Then, he reached into his breast pocket and out came a small, brown leather pouch. When he raised the bag to Zoro’s face, the swordsman outreached his hands. The tiny pouch fell into his palms.

Zoro looked really surprised. Sanji wondered what Zoro had expecting. The swordsman’s large, clumsy hands tugged the hems of the little bag to loosen the string. When the bag was fully opened, he flipped it upside down. The silver ring fell heavily into his palm, and it gleamed in white.

Suddenly, Sanji felt embarrassed. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want to see Zoro’s face. He imagined that Zoro would look happy, but maybe he was being naïve. What if Zoro didn’t like jewelry? What if he was the type who got offended when he got necklaces or rings? After all, he was a man, and men never received any jewelry.

Sanji turned away and rubbed his neck, “I, uh, it’s not what you think it is. I just had left over money, and there was a store there, so I was checking it out. It was supposed to be for Nami-san but she said it was too big. I don’t like wearing those kinds of things, so I thought you’ll want it.” The cook babbled away, but the sound of his heart pounded louder in his burning ears, “I-It’s made out of silver, so it needs to be polished. I think that’s a hassle, but I think you’ll be fine with it since you polish your swords all the time-“

The swordsman was silent throughout Sanji’s rambles, so the cook got nervous. He found the guts to look at Zoro, to see what expression his lover was making.

Sanji blinked and his lips tightened into a straight line.

Peering into Zoro’s face, the cook realized that it was a waste of time being pessimistic.

Zoro had the ring between his thumb and pointer finger and examined every side and face. He twirled it around, rubbing his fingers to feel the grooves of the three engraved lines. His eyes were dazed, completely enthralled by the ring.

“Wow...this is...”

“Nice?” Sanji helped.

“Pretty.”

Sanji blushed because he never thought he would hear Zoro say ‘pretty.’ The cook’s eyes were glued onto Zoro. Now, he regretted looking away because what he had ignored was something he might never see again.

Zoro slipped the ring into the left hand ring finger.

_H-Hey...that’s..._

Sanji swallowed when Zoro stretched his arms out to look at the ring from afar. The ring sparkled under the ceiling lamp. He brought the hand back and flipped it several times. Then, he raised his head and smiled, showing the ring on his hand.

“Thanks Cook, I like it.”

Sanji smiled a toothy grin and wrapped his arms behind Zoro’s back. He hugged him, nuzzling his face into the swordsman’s neckline. Zoro shuffled around to get comfortable and then wrapped his hands around the cook’s neck.

“You like it?” Sanji asked.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry I lied. I bought it for you.”

“I know...and thanks.”

“It’s our sixth month anniversary.”

“Really? It’s been that long?” Zoro shuffled around, “Hou...six months...”

Sanji felt Zoro’s left arm leave his back. Zoro was looking at the ring again. This was more than Sanji hoped for. Zoro really liked the ring, and he was acting so sweet about it.

He pulled Zoro in closer, so their bodies were merged together. His hands slipped into the fuzzy haramaki and found its way into the shirt. He felt Zoro’s bare skin on his fingertips. As he slid his hands up, the white shirt began to crumple in his arms. Lips were pressed together, and they kissed slowly.

“Zoro,” Sanji whispered between kisses, “I want you.”

Zoro chuckled, “You say that all the time, and we end up just petting each other-“

“No, I’m serious.” Sanji slid his hands down to cup Zoro’s ass,” I want to be in here.”

“...oh,” Zoro breathed, “Here? Now?”

“Not yet. When everyone’s asleep.” Sanji pulled back, “When’s your lookout shift?”

“After Usopp.”

“When’s that?”

“Uh, two-thirty.”

“That’s perfect,” Sanji started mumbling about the dishes he was going to prepare, the ones that took the longest to prepare, “Name a place.”

“What?”

“Name a place where we can fuck.”

Zoro looked at loss of words, “...the aquarium?”

Sanji smiled, “I didn’t expect you to say that.” He hugged Zoro and squeezed him hard. “Zoro, I-I’m glad you liked the ring.”

“I’m surprised that you’re acting like this.”

“I think I wouldn’t be so happy if you didn’t put it on that finger.”

Zoro pulled Sanji off, and the swordsman looked at him strangely, “Does it even make a difference?”

“Does it-!? Of course it does!” Sanji gaped. “Do you know what the ring finger signifies?”

“Not what I know of.”

Sanji’s mouth parted open, but he couldn’t find the right words, “Uh...so, you really don’t know what it means?”

“Yeah.”

Sanji was about to retort, but he didn’t want to ruin this wonderful mood. Maybe this ritual was only done in his country.

“Um...in my hometown, when someone gets married the couple exchange rings and put it on the ring finger.”

“Hmm...” Zoro looked at his left hand, “This hand?”

“Yeah, so we’re kind of married,” Sanji grinned, “so I want my honeymoon.”

Zoro squeezed his left hand into a fist, and kissed Sanji on the cheek, “I want a honeymoon too.”

Sanji smirked, “Remember, the aquarium is right below here. You can either take the slide and turn left and go into the first door, or if you’re going to take the stairs-“

“I know where the aquarium is at!”

All of a sudden, Sanji stepped back, crossed his arms, and turned away. Zoro was about to ask why the sudden distant behavior, when the door suddenly opened. Robin entered, and her eyes looked at Zoro and Sanji before stopping on the cook.

“Can you brew some coffee for Nami-chan and I?” Robin smiled, “We want to drink a cup of coffee before going to bed.”

“Oh, yes! I can do that for you! Would you like me to deliver it to your rooms?”

“You don’t have to if you’re busy.”

“No, Robin-chan! I’ll abandon all of my duties to lend you a hand.” At the corner of his eye, Sanji saw Zoro mouth out, ‘even sex duties?’ The cook tried not to blush in scarlet.

“Thank you Sanji.” Robin smiled and stepped out of the room. Zoro followed her out of the room, but he turned back to give a cheeky smile.

“Good night Cook.”

“Good night.” Sanji blew a kiss. The swordsman, who grew embarrassed by these kinds of affections, swatted it off.

-.-.-

Two-twenty, Sanji read the clock. He was marinating some meat for tomorrow’s breakfast. It was a perfect alibi when asked why he was up so late. Luffy would be the happiest captain on the Grand Line to have meat for breakfast, so he wouldn’t complain one bit.

When it was two minutes before the promised time, Sanji grabbed his coat, a wine bottle, a plate of snacks, turned off the stoves, and headed out of the kitchen. He took the slide because it was quick and quiet. Before he reached for the doorknob, he took a deep breath and exhaled. He did that several times, but his heart kept racing. The last time this happened was when he was confessing his feelings for Zoro. He inhaled and exhaled so many times, that Zoro looked like he was going to fall asleep. Their relationship was about to step up to a new level.

Sanji let out a long, breath and straightened up. He reached for the doorknob, but it turned on its own. The cook didn’t have time to back up, so his nose met with the door first. He gave out a sharp curse and staggered back, rubbing his nose. Zoro poked his head out and saw what he had done.

“My bad.”

“...It’s fine.”

“What took you so long?”

“I needed to prepare stuff. You found the aquarium. I’m quite impressed.” Zoro snorted but opened the door so the cook could enter.

The only light source was the moonlight barely seeping through the ceiling of the tank, so the room had a dark blue hue. The lighter colors danced and swayed when the waves of the aquarium shifted. The fishes that Usopp and Luffy caught were asleep, so they floated in a fixed spot. When the wave moved, the fishes moved with the gentle flow. If Zoro and Sanji didn’t make a sound, the fishes should remain swaying.

Near the elongated couch that surrounded the tank, Zoro had laid out two blankets. The swordsman must have stolen some while heading out of the men’s bunkroom. Zoro had his eyes on the tray and the bottle of ale Sanji brought. So, the cook lay on the blanket like a picnic mat and popped off the cork.

Zoro snatched the bottle and drank half of it. When he gave it back to Sanji, the cook frowned because he brought glasses for a reason. Then, he saw a slight tremor in the swordsman’s arms. Zoro licked his lips and swallowed several times, and the whole while he wasn’t looking at Sanji.

“Um...are you nervous?”

Zoro’s mouth stayed open and then he looked down, “...yeah. I never did this before.”

“With a woman?”

“I was never interested in women. I’ve been out with a couple of guys, but I never thought of having sex with them.”

“Oh, so it’s like your first first.”

“What about you?”

“Well, I had a few times with women, but never with a man...” Sanji chuckled nervously, “So, we’re both virgins at this.”

Zoro took a bite out of a chocolate piece, “So, how do we do it?”

“Good question.” Sanji drank the bottle in the same manner as Zoro. When he set it down, he looked at his lover, “Do you want to wing it?”

“Like, just do it?”

“Yeah.”

Zoro nodded, “Sure...if we suck, we’ll...”

“We’ll?”

“We’ll go into some book store and find a book that’ll tell us how to do it right,” Zoro looked up, “or maybe ask Robin to borrow a book from her library-“

“I don’t think Robin-chan has those kinds of books.”

“Why?”

“She’s not that type of person.”

Zoro snorted, “Everyone’s a pervert; most are better at hiding it.” He put his hands on Sanji’s shirt and began unbuttoning his top. Sanji’s eyes were stuck on the swordsman’s hands, slowly popping off the round buttons, “If we’re going to start doing this kind of thing, we need to learn how to keep it a secret.”

Sanji snorted and shifted his arms, so his shirt could be free, “I guess...”

-.-.-

They’ve decided-after a few minutes of discussing-that Sanji would be the one to top. He had an advantage (he was more experienced, and he bought the ring). Zoro and Sanji removed their clothing, so they were sitting face-to-face, naked.

“Grab something because it might hurt.”

“Nn...okay,” Zoro sat on the blanketed floor and leaned his back against the couch. He set his elbows on the seat, and his hands gripped the edge of the cushion. He waited for Sanji, but the cook stayed frozen, sitting in front of him like a blue tinted marble statue.

Sanji wanted to reach out to touch Zoro, but he was struck with bewilderment. Under the dimly lit aquarium, three objects glittered back: Zoro’s eyes, his three earrings, and the silver ring. They were stark naked, but it felt like Zoro still had something on. Did this mean that if Zoro wore anklets, necklaces, or other accessories, would he keep them on?

_Shit, that’s hot..._

He shook his head and came to reality. If he wanted to see that happen, then Sanji needed to save money to buy them. Sanji scooted in closer to see where he was supposed to stick his dick in. He held Zoro’s knees and pulled them apart, and, leaning in, he peered at the small puckered entrance. It looked smaller than the ones women had.

“Damn.” Sanji muttered under his breath. “I think I’m going to cum the moment I’m in.”

“Don’t even dare.”

“I won’t.”

Sanji put his fingers in his mouth and licked them. Zoro’s eyes were fixed on Sanji’s-the swordsman thought it was strange-behavior.

“Why are you licking your fingers?”

“I think I’ve heard that men can’t lubricate like women, so I need to prepare you.”

“What...?”

“I’m going to finger you, so be ready.”

“You’re serious-shit!” Zoro flinched and his body jerked up the moment Sanji inserted one finger. The swordsman twisted his body and squirmed backwards, “Ah, ow, don’t-“ The swordsman pinched his lips together to prevent himself from uttering any sweet noises.

“Don’t close your mouth. I want to know if I’m doing this right.”

“I don’t want to-“ When Sanji pressed his finger deeper, it probed something. Suddenly, Zoro gasped out in surprise, as if he didn’t expect it. Sanji tensed up because of his voice; it was different, something he had never heard before from the swordsman. His voice melted his ears, fueled up his lust to its peak. If the swordsman made this noise with a mere finger, what rare noises would he utter when it was something much bigger?

“D-Did that feel good?” Sanji asked, trying his hardest to keep his voice from shaking.

“I don’t know...”

“It sounded like it felt good.”

Zoro tried to come up with a comeback, but his mouth was left hanging. He turned away, grumbling, “...yeah, it kind of did.”

“I’ll put in one more...”

“One more...?” Zoro sounded worried, and Sanji produced a sloppy grin at that. He wasn’t sadistic, but thinking that Zoro was nervous excited him. He kind of wanted to see, and feel, the state Zoro would be in once they were together.

He inserted the second finger, and this helped widen the space easier. His fingers wiggled around, and the swordsman reacted in a good way. It looked like he wasn’t in pain, rather, he looked like he was losing his strength. Zoro had slithered down in the couch, his right hand barely supporting his weight. His face was red, he was panting in quick breaths, and his eyes were glazed over with tears. His left hand covered Zoro’s mouth because his mouth couldn’t hold it any longer. Sanji smiled when he saw the silver ring glittering back.

For a second, Zoro removed his hand to gasp out, “Cook, stop...it’s-ahn, I won’t last-!”

“That’s good...because same here.” Sanji muttered as he removed his fingers. He looked at the opening; it didn’t look as painful as it did before. The cook took a deep, but it came out short. He was-no, they were finally going to have sex, the real thing.

“A-Are you ready?”

“We came this far. Are you going to quit on me, Cook?” Zoro snapped, but his teary eyed and flushed face lowered his intimidation.

Sanji let out a dry chuckle, and at the same time, he shook his head.

“Of course not.”

Sanji hooked Zoro’s legs over his shoulders, and he scooted in to get ready. Zoro got ready also; he gripped his hands tight on the seat. He was breathing hard, as if he was wearing the black bandana over his eyes and was ready to fight. He eyed the cook’s length with fierceness, but at the same time, with a hint of anxiety.

“I’ll try not to hurt you-“

“Just hurry up!” Zoro snapped with impatience.

Sanji sighed at his lover’s lack of empathy, “Alright...don’t yell at me if it does.”

“I won’t-Nh-! Ah, Ahhhh!” It was unexpected that Zoro screamed when Sanji pressed into the tiny hole. The cook’s vision spotted, even though he was only a few inches in. The swordsman forced himself to stop screaming by leaning back against the seat and biting into the cushion. If he could keep a sword in his mouth and fight, that was going to leave a mark for sure. The spotty vision grew as Sanji slid in deeper. It was rough and felt really dry. Maybe the saliva wasn’t the best choice.

It didn’t go as well as it did when Sanji had sex with a woman, but he was finally inside Zoro. All the way to the base of his shaft. Sanji shook his head to get rid of the dizziness and he took a shaking breath.

“Whoa...that was intense.” He peered down to see that Zoro wasn’t responding, “...Zoro?”

Zoro had his mouth parted open, so the cushion was free. It had minor tears, but hopefully no one would suspect it as bite marks. His face and the rest of his body were as red as a ripe tomato. It was a bright contrast to his dark, green hair. His eyes and mouth were squeezed shut, but his nostrils were wide. His breaths were quick and harsh. When it gradually slowed down, the swordsman finally opened his eyes, and tears began falling down his red cheeks.

“C-Cook?”

“Zoro...? Are you okay?”

“Nnnnfn...not...haaa...not really.” Zoro blushed, “...it hurts.”

“Should we-“

“Just...just continue.” Zoro panted, “I’ll...I’ll be fine.”

Sanji was worried, but the swordsman gave him the ‘do it’ look. The cook began shifted his hips to start the rhythm. He pulled back until his tip was the only part inside, and shoved right back. Zoro’s body jerked, but the cry he made sounded sweeter and in less pain.

At first, he kept the rhythm slow, so Zoro could adjust and it would last longer. It appeared that the swordsman accustomed to the pain and was in bliss.

Zoro rolled his head back and hummed pleasurably, “S-Sanji...”

Sanji thought he was mishearing things. Zoro couldn’t, possibly be calling him by his real name.

“Mffm, ah Sanji...Sanji...”

“Y-Y-Yeah...Zoro?” The swordsman was in like a drunken phase-although Sanji never seen Zoro drunk before.

Zoro drew out his tongue and licked his lips, “Fuck me harder.”

“W-What?” Sanji couldn’t believe his ears. It sounded like he was begging (Zoro was going to deny it) and he called the cook by his name (he was going to deny this too). His voice, it was the dirtiest thing Sanji ever heard! His heart was like a rabid fan screaming at an idol. He needed to shut his screaming heart up or else he was going to ejaculate.

“Zoro, shut up. I-I’ll do what you say, but just shut up.” Hearing this, Zoro broke into a satisfied smile.

“Okay-” Zoro stretched the last bit of the syllable with his delicious baritone.

A deep shiver ran down his spine and spiraled in Sanji’s gut. His voice started to shake uncomfortably because he needed to hold it.

“I thought I told you to shut up.” Sanji asked politely but darkly, while he took Zoro’s erected length and squeezed it as hard as he could. Zoro’s whole frame shook and he let out a choked cry. He had came in the cook’s hand the moment skin touched skin. When the swordsman couldn’t utter anything coherent, Sanji quickly stroked the wet length up and down, letting the hot liquid slick the sensitive member. Of course, that didn’t stop Zoro from making noises, but at least the sexy teases were over.

Sanji pounded into the swordsman as hard as he could, because that was what his lover wanted. Zoro was barely conscious, but he was panting and had that naughty smile on that handsome face. This only made Sanji want to fuck harder to get rid of it. The cook had a hunch, but boy, Zoro was such a masochist.

The strong coiling in Sanji’s gut finally exploded, and the cook came hard. His mind washed out his intelligence; his body shook as he released his seed inside Zoro. His hearing was lost by the loud roaring of blood rushing in his veins. The swordsman threw his head back and snarled. When everything in his systems settled down and was at peace, Sanji collapsed onto the swordsman.

Sanji should remove himself, but right now he wanted to cuddle and feel Zoro’s warmth.

-.-.-

“I think we did it wrong.”

“We did?” The words hit Sanji’s pride, “You sounded like you liked it.”

Zoro grumbled, “I did. I _loved_ it. It was fucking great,” Another grumble, “but my ass hurts a lot.”

“But all virgins say their first hurts.”

Zoro chuckled, “I don’t think I can walk.”

“Shit, that sounds bad.” Sanji put a hand to his lips, “Maybe we need to read gay porn.”

“Porn exaggerates everything. We need those ‘how to have sex with a man’ educational books.”

“It exists!?”

“I heard it was a best seller at some island.”

“What island!?”

“I don’t remember, but all I know is that we need to buy, borrow, or steal a book like that.”

“We are going to _buy_ it, and I’ll read it out loud and do it at the same time!”

“That’s really awkward.”

Sanji sat up and reached for his clothes. “I got to make an alibi. You should go up to the crow’s nest and be on watch duty.”

“Right-“ Zoro got up also, but he soon sat back down. Sanji turned, wondering why, until he heard Zoro hiss.

“Umm...Zoro? Are you alright?”

Zoro’s face was blue, and he shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but he hesitated.

“Er-“

“What?” Sanji asked.

“C-Can you carry me up there?”

For some reason, Sanji broke into a bright smile.

“Bridal style?”

For an instant, Zoro responded with an embarrassed smile, but then he scowled, “No, piggyback!”

-.-.-

Sanji climbed up the rope ladder with Zoro clinging to him on his back. The cook was disappointed that he couldn’t do the bridal style, but after he took in consideration, it was almost impossible. When he set Zoro down in his favorite spot in the room, he grabbed a couple of small dumbbells and set it near the swordsman’s feet.

“So, it looks like you’ve been working out.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“...hey,”

“Hm?” Sanji looked back and Zoro raised his left hand.

Zoro smiled, “Thanks for the ring.”

“...you’re going to take that off when everyone’s awake right?”

Zoro paused and disappointment flickered on his face, “C-Cook, wouldn’t it be easier if-“

“No, we shouldn’t. There are still people who don’t like it.”

Zoro sighed sadly and reluctantly slipped the ring off his finger. Sanji watched him drop it into a small drawer and close it. The swordsman tapped the drawer closed, and the swordsman shrugged.

“I’ll wear it when we’re alone.”

“Yeah.” Sanji walked up to kiss Zoro, “I’ll deliver you breakfast.”

“Thanks.”

When Sanji walked down the steel ladder, Zoro lied on the couch and put his hands behind his back. It was easy for Zoro to say that he was gay because he wasn’t interested in anybody or anything. He was into _nobody_ , and became interested in _something_. On the other hand, Sanji loved _something_ , but he grew to love _something else_ , completely opposite of what he believed in. This was what prevented them from coming out. The cook’s self-image of being a ladies’ man was too great. Zoro sighed and closed his eyes. He didn’t realize he fell asleep.

-.-.-

Zoro heard a faint sound of footsteps. It was so faint anyone would freak out and believe it was a ghost. It was not Sanji’s footsteps. The swordsman realized that the musician was coming up, so he groggily opened his eyes and stretched. As soon as his back cracked, Brook popped his head out.

“Oh! Zoro-san, good morning!”

“Hey, good morning.” Zoro sat up and leaned against the sofa, “Is it morning already?”

“Yo ho ho, are you doing your job Zoro-san?”

“I woke up didn’t I?”

Brook chuckled as he climbed the rest of the ladder to get to the crow’s nest room. The skeleton was so tall, his afro brushed against the ceiling. The lanky man walked up and his jaw rattled.

“May I sit down?”

“Uhh...sure.”

Zoro wasn’t used to polite gentlemen, so he always hesitated before answering Brook. The musician plopped his butt and pushed his legs together. His knees were in a perfect ninety degree angle, and his back was so straight, one could use him as a ruler. Zoro suddenly felt like he should at least straighten his back, so he shifted his body. His lower back disliked the new position, and the pain sizzled. He let out a short hiss before biting his lip hard.

“Zoro-san.” Brook asked as if he was singing.

“W-What?” Zoro’s voice got caught in his throat because he was trying to not make a sound.

“Do you mind me asking something?”

“Urm...no?”

“I might be invading your privacy.”

“I don’t care.”

Brook coughed in his fist and then asked in the most blatant way possible, “Did you and Sanji have sex?”

Blood roared up to his brain like bubbling lava. Zoro felt it ascend his neck and crash and pool into his head, his face burning and sweating profusely. The massage rush of blood in his head made him dizzy, so he tilted his head back. The headache starting coming in too.

“W-What are you t-talking about?”

“You don’t need to lie Zoro-san. I know.”

Zoro swallowed and he couldn’t stop sweating. When did they mess up?

“I can feel it,” Brook started, “Your souls, they sing in euphoria when you two are-“ He didn’t finish his sentence; for once the musician didn’t say anything perverted. “They sang the loudest tonight.”

If someone cracked an egg on Zoro’s face, it would sizzle and make a fine sunny-side up.

“I was surprised,” Brook continued, “you two fight every single day, but your souls say otherwise...it woke up me up tonight because it was the loudest...so I used my Yomi Yomi powers and peeked.”

“You peeked!?” Zoro yelled and his voice cracked.

“Yes.” Brook answered honestly. The musician smiled, “It was beautiful.”

Zoro scoffed and turned away, his face getting darker by the second, “We sucked.”

“Oh no no, it was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen,” Zoro scoffed again and almost choked, “the sounds your souls were making...it was breathtaking. I have never heard such music! It was out of this world! It was a song that could only be heard if I die and fly to heaven-although I have died yohohoho! But the chords, oh dear! It sounded like it was A major, but it could have been F-“ Zoro tuned out because he didn’t understand music.

“-ah, but you look like you’re in pain...”

“That’s the part where we sucked.”

“You didn’t put enough lube.”

“What?”

“Saliva dries up too fast. You should try lotion next time.”

“...you really did watch us...”

“Of course. Live pornography is _the_ best kind of porn.” Brook announced with much pride and passion; he even emphasized the word ‘the.’ Zoro put a hand over his face because his head was throbbing. Brook’s laughter gradually died and he fell silent. The bright tone slowly simmered down to solemn, and the swordsman drew his hands to see what the matter was. Brook was staring off into the distance, his eyes were dark and looking at something far away (Zoro assumed).

“You know Zoro-san, many things change within fifty years. In my time, sodomy was a terrible crime. Men who engaged in this were punished by castration before hanging them. I’ve witness a few of those, and it was brutal...I get goosepimples every time...although I don’t have goosepimples...yohohoho...” The musician turned and smiled-or in actuality, his jaw rattled and the eye sockets narrowed to imitate happiness, “Don’t worry Zoro-san. Everybody knows about your relationship, so there is no reason to hide it anymore.”

Suddenly, Brook let out a sigh that sounded like a puff.

“Now, will you excuse me? I will be heading off to play tag with Luffy-san. Ah, would you like me to inform Sanji-san?”

“Nah, I’ll do it. Thanks Brook...”

“You’re very welcome.” The musician stood up, took a formal bow, and headed down the ladder as if nothing happened. Zoro sat where he was, dazed in shock. He was trying to sort out the new information. Coming out? Secret? He knew? Music? A major? Live pornography is the best kind of porn? Lube? That was a whole lot of random information.

It took a few minutes for him to calm down and get his heartbeat back to normal. The pain in his lower back was nothing anymore; the adrenaline was working at its best. He scooted over to retrieve the ring. He slipped it on his ring finger and raised his hand. The sun poked out from the sea, so its rays reflected the ring and enveloped it in white light. Zoro smiled because he wasn’t worried anymore: Brook helped get rid of it. Gay or not, his crew was there for him and the idiot cook.

He was going to walk into the dining room with the ring on his hand, grab Sanji by the necktie, and kiss in front of everyone. Then, he would say, “they know” and that was that.

This time, Zoro hoped, that they could hold hands over of the table.

**Author's Note:**

> Fanart by acidiceffect


End file.
